Bill allowing LGUs to choose depository bank pushed
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A measure has been filed at the House of Representatives providing greater flexibility to local government
units (LGUs) in choosing their depository banks.
Rep. Dato Arroyo (1st District, Camarines Sur) said House Bill 6499, which he authored, seeks to further
institutionalize local autonomy through the strengthening of the fiscal autonomy of local government units
(LGUs) by providing greater flexibility in choosing their depository bank.
The bill seeks to amend Section 311 of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as “The Local Government
Code of 1991.”
Arroyo said LGUs are mandated under the present law to maintain their account in government-owned banks
such as the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
“RA 7160 further states that they must only choose one (bank) within their area of jurisdiction,” Arroyo said.
“However, the law also allows rural banks to accept deposits from local governments notwithstanding the
presence of government-owned banks within their locality, on the condition that such rural banks are duly
authorized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP),” Arroyo said.
Under the bill, local treasurers shall maintain depository accounts in the name of their respective local
government units with government-owned banks duly authorized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
The bill also allows local treasurers to accept government deposits located in or nearest to their respective
areas of jurisdiction.
Co-authors of the bill are Reps. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (1st District, Leyte), Aurelio Gonzales Jr. (3rd
District, Pampanga), Wilfrido Mark Enverga (1st District, Quezon), Yevgeny Vincente Emano (2nd District,
Misamis Oriental), Candido Pancrudo Jr. (1st District, Bukidnon), Arnulfo Go (2nd District, Sultan Kudarat),
Mark Llandro Mendoza (4th District, Batangas, and Roberto Puno (1st District, Antipolo City).
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HOUSE READIES BLUEPRINT FOR PNR PRIVATIZATION
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Speaker Prospero C. Nograles today today revealed that a blueprint for the proposed privatization of the
Philippine National Railways is now being finalized to boost the system's vital role in the long-term vision of
making railway transit a tool for socioeconomic development.
“I have instructed our Congressional Planning and Budget Department (CPBD) headed by Director General
Rodolfo Vicerra to finalize a proposed privatization program which I will shortly submit for the President's
consideration,” Nograles said.
Although lately the PNR commenced operations and its inaugural short-distance run witnessed personally by
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Vice President Noli de Castro, among others, sustaining operations
in its 1,296-kilometer track from Legaspi in Albay up to La Union in the North is a real financial headache for
the government.
A glimpse at the CPBD study showed that in 1990 the PNR recorded 928,038 passengers, a number that
went down drastically to merely 137,414 in 2007. Moreover, actual losses, as reported by the PNR ballooned
from P644-million in 2003 to P1.5-billion in 2008.
Nograles said the current budget crunch, made worse by the global economic downturn, makes it more
imperative for government to redirect its resources to other productive programs by cutting its subsidy,
which is not enough anyway, to the PNR. “The most practical option is to privatize its maintenance and
operations without shedding off ownership to its assets.
“Our study shows that one of the best options is through the so-called concession agreement,” said the
Speaker, explaining that privatization is the process of disposing or transferring government assets through
sale or lease to the private sector.
Nograles said privatization will allow the private sector to infuse new capital that will enable the PNR to
acquire the most efficient technology in railway development such as Japan's high speed train and
other modern trains in other parts of the world.
The CPBD study showed that the concession option is a success story in countries like Argentina, Brazil and
Mexico where they were able to turn around their dying railway industry into viable and competitive system with
the least government exposure.
Concessions involve continuing public ownership and oversight of infrastructure, but the transfer of operating
responsibility and the delivery of services to the private sector. It can enable governments to retain ultimate
control over the rail infrastructure while allowing the private sector to operate the railways and compete for
customers in the market.
“As stated in an ILO document in 1999, concessions require continuing government involvement in regulating
safety and monopolistic behavior, and in ensuring adherence to the pricing and service requirements of
the concession,” the CPBD study noted.
Moreover, the study said, the PNR may also adopt a strategy of concessioning separately the Northrail and
Southrail routes in order to encourage greater competition in the provision of railway services and for
benchmarking purposes as in the case of two large-Manila based water concessionaires – the Maynilad
Water Services Inc. in the West zone, and the Manila Water Company in the East zone.
Furthermore, in the privatization and rehabilitation of the entire PNR route, safety mechanisms should also be
put in place particularly in relocating around 6,000 squatters (as has been going on) around the rail tracks, as
well as in providing livelihood to approximately 2,000 employees who may be adversely affected by their
organizational restructuring as a result of privatization.
Nograles believes that privatization should balance greater public access to safe, reliable, and affordable
railway services, and ensuring cost recovery and return of investments on the part of the private sector.
“In moving towards privatization, it is also important to ensure the separation of policy, regulatory, and
production supply functions and the need for competition in the non-natural monopoly segments of the sector
through private entry,” the study said noting documents from Mukherjee and Sachdeva 2004.
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Solon wants to criminalize HIV-AIDS transmission
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Sex workers who may be found guilty of transmitting HIV-AIDS virus to their customers may be arrested and
charged in court.
Under House Bill 5870, authored principally by Rep. Narciso D. Santiago III (Party-list, ARC), sex workers or
any person who has tested positive for HIV-AIDS should seek government help to stop the transmission of the
dreaded disease.
House Bill 5870 or the Proposed Act Defining and Penalizing the Crimes of Reckless Endangerment of the
Public Health and Offering A False Statement Which Endangers the Public Health, declares a person guilty
of the offense when he or she has been tested positive for HIV-AIDS and then recklessly engages in
unprotected sex which results in its transmission to another person who was unaware of such condition.
"When persons infected by the virus engage in unprotected sex or sharing needless, without the consent of
their partners, they endanger public health and spoil the efforts of government to contain and prevent the
spread of HIV-AIDS,” Santiago said.
The proposed act punishes persons who mislead the Department of Health (DOH) by providing false
information that he or she could be an HIV-AIDS carrier.
Santiago said it is the policy of the government to protect the physical, moral and social well being of the
people.
“The State shall exert efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS by penalizing certain reckless acts which
may cause the transmission of the diseases,” Santiago said.
Santiago said the HIV status of sex offenders must be determined in order to allow the victims of alleged sex
crimes, which endanger their health to obtain the most effective health care treatment.
The measure further requires that an HIV related test be given to any person or sex workers who were
arrested for such an offense.
The bill provides that women, who transmitted the HIV-AIDS to her children as a result of childbirth, are not
covered by the proposed act.
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Sec. Angelo Reyes kakaiba sa lahat
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KAKAIBA sa lahat ng naging kalihim ng Department of Energy si Sec. Angelo Reyes.
Ito ang panunuyang pahayag ni Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya matapos na sitahin ng kalihim ang
UNIOL sa ginawa nitong pagpapaba ng presyo ng langis ng halos P5 kada litro, sa kabila na nagtataasan
presyo ng langis ng big 3 ang Shell, Petron at Chevron.
Ayon kay abaya, namumukod tangi ang umano ang kalihim dahil siya lamang ang sekretaryo ng ahensya na
hindi barunong magpasalamat sa oil player sa pagbaba ng presyo nito, bagkus pinagbasihan pa na wag
gamitin ang pagpapaba ng presyo para lamang magpabango sa madla.
Sec Reyes should be praising unioil rather that criticize na nagpapabango.,” dagdag pa ni Abayan, “He must
be the only doe sec. who criticizes a player who does a rollback.”
Malaki ang paniniwala ni Abaya na malaking tulong sa taumbayan kung lilisanin ng Kalihim ang kanyang
tanggapan at paghandaan na lamang ang planong niyang pagsabak sa politika.
Maybe sec. reyes might do more good for country by resigning and preparing for his political plans,”
Hinamon pa ng Kongresista si Reyes na ipakita nito ang kanyang computation sa tamang presyo ng petrolyo
sa bansa.
Binuweltahan naman ni Abaya ang Big 3 na walang moral na otoridad upang ikritisismo ang UNIOL, na
nagpapalakas lamang sa hinala ng taumbayan na nagkakaroon ng sabwtan ang tatlong higate ng
kumpanya ng langis na hindi kayang makapagbaba ng presyo kanilang produkto.
“oil deregulated industry. Big 3 have no moral authority to criticize uniol. They should just compete. The more
people get to think that they are conniving ,” ani Abaya.
Suportado naman ito ni Buhay Partylist Rep. Irwin Tieng na ang dahil ng oil deregulation law ay upang
makapasok ang ibapang maliliit na player upang mahadlangan ang monopoly ng big 3.
Naniniwala ang kongresista na malaking tulong sa mamayan ang ginawa ng UNIOIL, higit ngayong panahon
na nahaharap sa krisis ang ekonomiya ng bansa.
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Vice President Noli de Castro adik sa komersyal - solon
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TINAWAG na adik sa komersyal ni Gabriela party-list Rep. Liza Maza si Vice President Noli de Castro dahil
matapos umabot sa kahating bilyong piso ang ginastos para sa TV ads.
Dahil dito pinasisilip ng Mambabatas sa Commission on Audit (CoA) ang malaking ginastos ni de Castro,
maging sa lahat ng ahenya ng pamahalaan na nagkaroon ng komeryas sa telebisyon.
Kabilang sa pinasisilip ni Maza ang P500 milyon sa advertisements ng Home Development Mutual Fund
na may ganitong tema “Pagtutulungan sa Kinabukasan: Ikaw, Bangko, Industria at Gobyerno (Pag-IBIG)
Fund.”
Imoral at hindi katanggap –tanggap umano ang gatusin ng ahesya sa pera ng taumbayan aniya pa, “The VP
and other should tell the people how much was spent for infomercials and where they got money for it. CoA
should audit these ads addict.”
Sinuportahan naman ni Anakpawis Rep. Joel Maglunsod ang pinatawag na imbestigasyon ng Senate blue
ribbon committee na pinamumunuan ni Sen. Richard Gordon, na humihiling nang paliwanag sa Pag-IBIG
officials sa kalahating bilyon gastos ng ahensya sa TV ads.
Malaki ang paniniwala ni Maglunsod na na masyado umanong malaki ang gastos ng TV ads ni de Castro, na
kung susumahin umano marami na sanang bahay ang napagawa ng P.5 bilyon.
“Marami na sanang bahay iyang cost ng ads niya. Sobra naman,” ani Maglunsod.
Maliban kay de Castro, na mamayagpag din sa komersyal sa television at radio stations sina Defense Sec.
Gilberto Teodoro, Health Sec. Franciso Duque, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) director-general Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco at Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation
(Pagcor) chairman Epraim Genuino.
Nanghihinayang naman si Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson sa kalahating bilyon na gastos ni de Castro sa
kanyang komersyal.
“To Vice President, sobra na tama na ang ads, ang laki ng subtraction sa housing units niyan,” ani Joson.
Naniwala naman si Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros na “Kung totoong si Vice President de Castro ang
nakikinabang sa panahon ng krisis, mas dapat protektahan ng gobyerno ang pondo para magamit ng mga
Pag-ibig members para sa pabahay at iba pa.”
Habang binigyan katwiran naman ni Speaker Prospero “Boy” Nograles Jr. ang P500 million na pondo umano
ng housing agency para sa komersyal simula noong 2005.
“The P500 million is cumulative advertising and marketing budget since 2005. Since VP Noli endorsed Pg-
ibig loans in 2007 only P164 million was spent representing only 1.2% of operating cost,” pagbibigay diin ni
Nograles.
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Pagtakbo ni Governor Panlilio sa pagkapangulo good decision - Rep. Mikey Arroyo
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“That’s a good decision to run for a higher office.”
Ito ang naging tugon ni Presidential Son at Pampanga Rep. Jose Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo sa planong pagtakbo
ni Governor Ed Panlilio sa pagkapangulo sa 2010 eleksyon.
Malaki ang paniniwala ni Arroyo na masmabuti umanong sa National na lamang tumakbo ang Paring
Gobernador, dahil 85 poryento umano ng mga kapangpangan ay hindi na sumusuporta sa kanya.
“because I believed 85% percent of our constituents no longer like him or support him,” ani Arroyo.
Madiin pa sinabi ni Arroyo na kahit kuwalipikado si Panlilo na sumabak sa pangpanguluhang halalan, hindi
naman umano ito makakaasa ng suporta sa kanya.
“He is qualified, he can lead the nation,” dagdag pa ni Arroyo, “but I won’t support him. I will only support the
standard bearer of our party, the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.”
Ganun paman, aminado naman ang Panganay na anak ni Pangulong Gloria Arroyo na ang taumbayan pa rin
ang magtatakda kung sino ang nais nilang mamuno sa bayan.
“It’s the people, it’s the voters who will decide who will be their next president. Everybody have chances,”
pahayag pa nito.
Kaya ang payo niya kay Panlilo “Goodluck for him!”
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Cheaper Medicines wala parin silbi kahit mapirmahan ni PGMA
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KAHIT pa mapirmahan na ni Pangulong Gloria Arroyo ang executive order (EO) sa pagpapatupad ng
maximum retail prices (MRP) sa ilalim ng Cheaper Medicines Act, hindi rin umano mapapakinabangan ng
taumbayan.
Sa paliwanang ni Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron, chairman of the House committee on health 22 gamot lamang
ang masasakop ng EO, malayo sa 1,600 sa version ng Kongreso na automatic price regulation na pinaalis
umano ni Sen. Manuel Roxas
“Assuming for the sake of arguments that the President will sign it (EO), the question is will this benefit the
poor and indigent Filipinos? No, because the EO contains only 22 medicines out of 1,600 drugs that we are
subjecting to automatic price regulation based on my version,” ani Biron.
Naniniwala ang Kongresista sa kabila na mahabang panahon na ang nakakalipas simula ng mapasa ang
bill, nanatili umanong walang silbi ang cheaper medicine, dahil umano sa pagpupumilit ni Roxas na ibigay
na lamang sa pangulo ang kapangyarihan sa pamamagitan ng EO na ngayon tinutuligsa ng Senador ang
pangulo sa pagtanggi na mapirmahan ang EO.
Sinabi pa ng Kongresista na hindi na mapipilit ng mga Senador ang pangulong Arroyo sa executive order
para mapatupad ang MRP sa 22 gamot.
Sinabi pa Biron, “wala tayong magawa dun, hindi natin puwedeng pilitin ang Presidente dahil iyan ang
version ni Sen. Roxas. We were forced to agree with the version of Sen. Roxas with strong reservation for fear
that it might not be finally signed into law.”
Pero kung tatanungin mo si Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon, miyembro ng Liberal Party (LP) ni Roxas, ang
gobyerno umano ang dapat sisihin sa hindi nito pagpapatupad ng batas.
Dinagdag pa ng Kongresista “The Executive took a long time finalizing the IRR (implementing rules and
regulations) and coming up with the list of maximum retail process.”
Ang masama naman umano ayon kay Biron, “Ito ang problema ngayon, ginagamit sa politika, the agenda is
to blame the President and for Sen. Roxas to take the credit kahit siya ang responsable sa pagpatay ng
batas.”
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JDV nang aabnoy ka - solon
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INAABNOY lamang umano ni dating Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. ang taumbayan sa mga tamang hinala niya
na matutuloy sa constituent assembly ang State of the Nation Address(SONA) ni Pangulong Arroyo sa Hulyo
27.
Malaki ang paniniwala nina House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Simeon Datumanong, Bacolod City Rep.
Monico Puentevella at Marikina City Rep. Marcelino Teodoro na KSP(kulang sa Pasin) lamang si de Venecia
kaya nagpaparatang ng walang basehan.
Sa naging pahayag ni de Venecia plano umano na magpatawag si Speaker Prospero Nograles ng Con-Ass
sa bago o sa araw o di kaya pagkatapos ng SONA ng pangulo.
Naniniwala si Teodoro na walang matibay na basehan si de Venecia sa kanyang mga paratang, nais lamang
umanong lumikha ang napatalsik na speaker ng kontrobersya upang makakuha ng atensyon ng publiko.
Dinagdag pa ni Teodoro, imposible umanong mangyari ang mga hinala ni JDV, ganun milyong-milyon tao
ang manonood ng SONA ng pangulo.
“This would not be a smart move for any lawmaker to even think of, who will jeopardize the stability of the
country in exchange for his personal and self-serving interest,” pahayag pa nito.
Nanindigan naman si Datumanong na mananatili lamang ang takbo ng SONA para marinig ng taumbayan
ang gagawing ulat ng pangulo sa kanyang mga nagawa sa bayan.
Nagtataka naman ang Kongresista sa hakbangin na ito ng dating lider ng kongreso, na nagreresulta lamang
umano ng pagkalito.
“I don’t know the reason of the former Speaker for saying that. But such statement is only sowing confusion,”
ani Datumanong.
Sinuportahan naman ito ni Puentevella sa pagpapahayag na, “It has no basis and it will not happen.”
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